Belt-buckle assembly



y 1963 J. LESS'ER ETAL 3,088,234

BELT-BUCKLE ASSEMBLY Filed Feb. 28, 1962 INVENTORS- JACK LESSER BY LEONH. HALBER AiTORNEY United rates Farent Q 3,088,234 BELT-BUCKLE ASSEMBLYJack Lesser, Wyncote, and Leon H. Halber, Philadelphia,

Pa, assignors to Atlas Novelty Company, Inc, Philadelphia, Pa., acorporation of Pennsylvania Filed Feb. 28, 1962, Ser. No. 176,374 6Claims. (Cl. 40-21) This invention relates to a belt and belt-buckleassembly, and it particularly relates to an assembly of the aforesaidtype wherein the buckle is also a receptacle for identification data.This is a continuation-in-part of copending application Serial No.127,285, filed July 27, 1961, and is an improvement over the belt andbuckle assembly called for in my co-pending application Serial No.127,285, filed July 27, 1961, now Patent No. 3,043,037 issued July 10,1962.

In the aforementioned co-pending application, there was disclosed abelt-buckle of the hook type for insertion of the hook into a selectedhole in a belt. This buckle had a receptacle portion for releasablyholding a folded strip of paper or the like containing identificationdata. However, although the buckle disclosed in said co-pendingapplication is, in many ways, most adequate for its purposes, it hascertain disadvantages inherent therein both as regards its data-holdingand locking means and the cost of manufacture.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantagesand defects of the prior art, as set forth in said co-pendingapplication, and at the same time to improve upon the device disclosedin said co-pending application itself.

Another object of the present invention is to obtain the utmost insafety and reliability both in the belt-holding and data-holding aspectsof the buckle while keeping the device very simple in construction andvery easy to manipulate.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this inventionwill be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood byreference to the following detailed description when considered inconnection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a belt and belt-buckleassembly embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partly sectional and partly elevational view with thesection taken on line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the buckle of FIGS. 1 and 2, with thereceptacle portion of the buckle being shown in the open position andthe data sheet being shown outside the receptacle.

Referring now in greater detail to the various figures of the drawingwherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts, there isshown a belt and belt-buckle assembly, generally designated 10,comprising a belt 12 and a buckle 14.

The belt 12 is of the ordinary type wherein one end is looped at 16through the opening 17 of an ofiset hollow bracket 18 at one end of thebuckle 14, the loop on the belt being secured to the bracket bystitching, stapling or the like 20. The other end of the belt 12 isprovided with a series of holes 22 for selectively receiving a hook 24at the opposite end of the buckle from where the bracket 18 is situated.It should be noted that the hook 24 extends rearwardly of the buckle 14to a plane which is common with the free end portion of the hollowbracket 18. By means of this construction, when the hook 24 ispositioned through a hole 22 to secure the belt around the waist of thewearer, the end of the hook 24- and end of the bracket 18 act to spacethe buckle a suflicient distance away from the wearers body to permiteasy enlee trance of the free end of the belt behind the buckle (asindicated in FIG. 2). Furthermore, since a portion of the opening 17 ofthe bracket 18 is offset from the end of the bracket to which the loop16 is attached and since this oifset portion of the opening is in theplane of the free end of the belt (as shown in FIG. 2), if the belt isto be tightened to where a considerable portion of the free end of thebelt hangs loose, this loose end may be conveniently passed through theoffset portion of the opening 17 whereby the bracket 18 acts as aretainer for the loose end of the belt.

The buckle 14 itself comprises a generally rectangular housing 25 madeof metal or the like and defined by upper and lower walls 28 and 30 andrear wall 32. The upper and lower walls 28 and 30 are each provided witha generally oval-shaped aperture, as at 34- and 36 respectively, theseapertures being arranged adjacent the left end of these Walls (as viewedin the drawing) and in vertical alignment with each other.

The apertures 34 and 36 serve as journals to pivotally support upper andlower vertical hinge-pin extensions 38 of a flange 4G integral with oneedge of a cover plate 42. The opposite edge of the cover plate 42 isalso provided with a flange 44 similar to and parallel with the flange40. The flange 44 is provided with a small recms 46 in the centralportion of its outer surface and this recess 46 is adapted to receiveand frictionally engage with a lug '48 on the inner surface of a latchplate 50 integral with and perpendicular to the remote edge of the rearwml '32 of the housing, whereby the cover plate 42 is releasably lockedin the closed position. Integral with the lower end of the free edge ofthe flange 44 is a pen pendicularly extending handle or finger-grip 52having a weight-decreasing aperture 54. The handle 52 has a slightlyoffset free edge 56 which permits it to be more easily grasped when thecover plate 42 is in the closed position (as in FIG. 1).

In order to securely hold the data sheet 58 in position when the coverplate is open, there is provided a spring finger 60 struck out from therear wall 32 of the housing 26. This finger is positioned adjacent theleft end of the housing (as viewed in the drawing) so that it provides aminimum of interference with insertion of the data sheet andsimultaneously permits easy engagement of an edge of the data sheettherewith.

It should be noted that the above construction permits simple andinexpensive fabrication because no end walls are necessary on thehousing, the flange 40 and finger 50 supplying these functions when thecover plate is open. In this respect, the flange 50 permits simplehinging of the cover plate to the housing since this flange acts as aretaining wall for the housing both in the open and closed positions ofthe cover plate and yet does not interfere with the swinging of thecover plate from one position to another. It should also be noted thatthe positioning of the handle 52. in an ofiset relation with respect tothe latch finger 50 eliminates the necessity of making the catch fingermovable to permit disengagement and also provides a leverage between thecatch and the handle. This leverage permits the catch to be made quitestrong while yet being easily openable.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention arepossible in the light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to beunderstood that within the scope of the appended claims, the inventionmay be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

The invention claimed is:

1. A belt-buckle assembly comprising a housing, a cover plate hinged tosaid housing, a bracket at one end of said housing, and a hook at theopposite end, said bracket having an opening therein, the portion of thebracket defining said opening having an ofiset stepped configurationwhereby it extends from the plane of said housing to an offset planerearwardly thereof, said hook also extending from said housing to saidoffset plane, said housing being defined by a rear wall and upper andlower walls, said cover plate being hingedly connected to said upper andlower walls at one edge of said rear wall for pivotal movement into andout of closed position against the open face of said housing and havingan offset flange which is pivotally arranged between said upper andlower walls to define a pivotally movable side wall of said housing, theopposite edge of said rear wall having a perpendicularly extending latchplate thereon projecting forwardly of said rear Wall and provided with alatch lug, a second offset flange on said cover plate in spaced relationto said first-mentioned offset flange, a recess in said second offsetflange of said cover plate adapted to be frictionally engaged by saidlatch lug when said cover plate is in closed position on said housing,and a clamping finger Within said housing adjacent that edge thereof towhich said cover plate is hingedly connected.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein a finger-grip handle is provided onsaid second ofiset flange of said cover plate in spaced offset relationto said recess.

3. A belt-buckle assembly comprising a generally flat buckle platehaving a front face, a rear face, a first edge and. a second edgeopposite each other and a third and a fourth edge opposite each otherand extending between said first and second edges, each of said thirdand fourth edges having a lateral flange extending along the lengththereof and projecting forwardly of the front face of said buckle plate,an offset bracket at said first edge, said bracket having an aperturetherein for receiving and attaching of a belt thereto, said bracket andsaid aperture being stepped in a direction rearwardly of said buckleplate, a hook at the second edge of said buckle plate for selectiveinsertion in holes of a belt, said hook extending rearwardly of saidbuckle plate with the free end of said hook in a common plane with therear end of said bracket, a clamping finger on the front face of saidbuckle plate for releasably holding a data. sheet thereon, a cover platehingedly positioned on a hinge axis between said lateral flnages on thethird and fourth edges of the buckle plate and adjacent said secondedge, said cover plate being hingedly movable from a closed positionparallel to and spaced from the front face of said buckle plate to anopen position in substantially the plane of said buckle plate, a closureflange extending laterally from said cover plate at the hinge axisthereof, said closure flange being constructed and arranged to form aforwardly-extending end Wall for said buckle plate in both the closedand open positions of said cover plate, andua latch means for releasablyholding said cover plate in its closed position.

4. The assembly of claim 3 wherein a finger-grip handle is provided onsaid cover plate in a spaced offset position relative to said latchmeans when said cover plate is in closed position.

5. The assembly of claim 3 wherein said latch means comprises a lugconnected to said first edge and a recess on said cover plate adapted toreceive and be fr-ictionally engaged by said lug when said cover plateis in closed position. 7

6. The assembly of claim 3 wherein said clamping finger comprises aspring finger positioned on the front face of said buckle plate adjacentone end thereof and in an opposite position relative to said latchmeans.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,429,641 Sayko Sept. 19, ,1922- 1,508,963 Dorf Sept. 16, 1924'1,558,406 Snyder Oct. 20, 1925

1. A BELT-BUCKLE ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A HOUSING, A COVER PLATE HINGED TOSAID HOUSING, A BRACKET AT ONE END OF SAID HOUSING, AND A HOOK AT THEOPPOSITE END, SAID BRACKET HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN, THE PORTION OF THEBRACKET DEFINING SAID OPENING HAVING AN OFFSET STEPPED CONFIGURATIONWHEREBY IT EXTENDS FROM THE PLATE OF SAID HOUSING TO AN OFFSET PLANEREARWARDLY THEREOF, SAID HOOK ALSO EXTENDING FROM SAID HOUSING TO SAIDOFFSET PLANE, SAID HOUSING BEING DEFINED BY A REAR WALL AND UPPER ANDLOWER WALLS, SAID COVER PLATE BEING HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO SAID UPPER ANDLOWER WALLS AT ONE EDGE OF SAID REAR WALL FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT INTO ANDOUT OF CLOSED POSITION AGAINST THE OPEN FACE OF SAID HOUSING AND HAVINGAN OFFSET FLANGE WHICH IS PIVOTALLY ARRANGED BETWEEN SAID UPPER ANDLOWER WALLS TO DEFINE A PIVOTALLY MOVABLE SIDE WALL OF SAID HOUSING, THEOPPOSITE EDGE OF SAID REAR WALL HAVING A PER-